Doddington and Newnham Traffic Calming Group
Minutes of a meeting held on Monday 25th
March 2002
Present: Pauline Gaston, Justin Horsfall-Turner, Mike
Jarratt, Ken Seyler, Val Tolhurst,
Ian Woodhouse, PC Denyer and Mark
Johnson (Swale BC)
Apologies: Janet Bell and Sally Evans
1.0 Minutes of the meeting on Monday 28th April 2002
1.1 The minutes were agreed as an accurate record of the meeting. Justin was unsure whether he had received them - Pauline to confirm his correct e:mail address for future distribution.
1.2 Ian Woodhouse replied to Mr Planner's letter as outlined in the minutes of the meeting requesting a meeting with an engineer to review the work we have undertaken to date. As there was no written reply, Ian telephoned Mr Planner and as a result of that call Mark Johnson was allocated to attend our next meeting and review our progress to date.
2.0 Presentation on the history and work of the group
2.1 Ian Woodhouse started by thanking both PC Denyer and Mark Johnson for attending the meeting. He then outlined the work we have done to date, using our presentation boards to show the specific danger points in the village and our suggestions for traffic calming.
2.2 Ian reported that Mr Haratbar had informed him that funding has become available for weight restrictions in the rural area which includes the C258 and Highways will be progressing this, although Mark Johnson had no information regarding the implementation timescale.
2.3 Ian also reported that Sally Evans has written to all the landowners along the C258 about hedge and verge management and the possibility of grants to help with the costs.
2.4 We need to focus on the particular times when the traffic is heavy in the village - 7am to 9.30am and 4pm to7pm. The police have questioned drivers and found that a large percentage of the traffic at these times is 'through traffic' between the A2 and A20.
3.0 Statistical information on traffic speeds
3.1 A 'Speed Indicator Device' (SID) was in the village for 3 days in
May.
The detailed statistics were circulated in the meeting.
In
summary:
Location: outside the school 47% of traffic was going over
30mph - the fastest speed recorded was 54mph
Location::
Sunnyside 38% of traffic was going over 30mph - the fastest speed was
57mph.
3.2 Several further police checks have taken place since then that confirm these findings. There is a meeting this week to organise the next locations for SID and the police will follow up in the same areas with speed guns. This will mean that SID and the police speed checks will be co-ordinated.
3.3 There has been a proposal from Kent Police Headquarters to move speed enforcement out of 'area' control. PC Denyer has written a letter strongly requesting that this does not happen and that speed enforcement is kept within the local area. DTCG to write a letter supporting this view. Action: I Woodhouse
4.0 New Generation Speed Indicator Devices
4.1 PC Denyer handed out some information on Speed Indicator Devices and their prices. Prices start at £1450 plus VAT for a portable device to £2100 plus VAT for a more substantial device. It was felt that the possibility of raising money for two such indicator devices (for positions by the school and the playing field) could be considered as a stop gap while highways are planning, agreeing and obtaining funding for a permanent scheme.
4.2 Department of Transport devices such as the one at Harrietsham currently have a Department of Transport 'hold' on further installations as there is concern over their effectiveness, therefore it would not be possible to lobby KCC or Swale for them to install the more expensive version until the Department of Transport has clarified their position.
5.0 Comments from Mark Johnson, Swale BC
5.1 Mark Johnson started by saying that we had done a very good job of assessing the village and making recommendations. The approach that we have taken is the same as would have been done by Highways and that he was very impressed by the work of the group to date.
5.2 He then explained that traffic calming schemes can take many years to implement, primarily due to funding issues, and that 5 or 6 years was not an uncommon timescale. Funding comes from KCC budgets, Area Committees and Development funding.
5.3 Mark asked about reported accident rates as traffic calming is usually prioritised by accident rates. There are very few reported accidents from this area, but PC Denyer agreed to provide the data to Mark Johnson. Action: PC Denyer
5.4 Mark stated that the only part of our current proposals that he could see a problem with was the proposed 20mph limit. These 20mph zones are usually limited to cul-de-sacs and not through roads such as the C258. PC Denyer agreed with this and also added that a 20mph limit would be almost impossible to enforce.
5.5 It was suggested that our next steps should be: Parish Council to lobby the Area Committees over funding We should hold a public meeting to show the work that we have done to date and get feedback from the village. It might also be worthwhile explaining that the timescales for implementation are likely to be much longer than we originally thought/were informed.
5.6 Ian Woodhouse thanked both Mark Johnson and PC Denyer for their time and constructive feedback.
6.0 Interim Traffic Calming measures
6.1 SLOW DOWN signs - these have all been vandalized in recent weeks. There has been an increase in general vandalism in the village. It was agreed that these should be remade and installed again once the school is back in September. Action: I Woodhouse
6.2 School involvement - Justin has been unable to progress this due to a lack of time. It was agreed that Pauline would take this on and get an appointment with Mrs Harris to discuss this at the start of the school term. Action: Pauline Gaston
6.3 Car stickers - Ian to progress these. Action: Ian Woodhouse
6.4 Traffic calming newsletter - it was agreed that a special newsletter could be produced with all the details of our work to date to coincide with the public meeting. Action: Ian Woodhouse/Justin Horsfall-Turner
7.0 Next Meetings
7.1 The next meeting of the DTCG will be on Monday 19th August 2002, 8 pm at Ian's house.
7.2 The public meeting will be on Monday 16th September 2002 in the Village Hall.